Trailer cap and method of forming same

ABSTRACT

A TRAILER CAP FORMING A CLOSURE BETWEEN THE ROOF AND FRONT END WALL OF A TRAILER OF THE TYPE HAVING A CURVED FRONT END WALL AND A CURVED OR BOWED ROOF IN WHICH THE CAP IS FORMED BY A MALE AND FEMALE DIE IN A METAL PRESS.

United States Patent 1191 Cramb June 28 1974 [5 TRAILER CAP AND METHODOF 1.707,172 3/1929 Nathanson 29/010. 20 FORMING SANIE 2,983,033 5/1961Cox 29/159.0l 1 3,066,631 12/1962 Geary 29/416 Inventor: Clayton Cramb,NaShv1ll9,Tenn- 3.151.390 10/1964 Schevenel1.. 29/407 Assigneez Carlbum,Inc" Chickasha, Okla 3,389670 6/1968 Caple 1 1 113/116 BB Filed Feb- 6,1973 Primary Examiner-Richard J. Herbst [2]] AppL NO: 330 077 Attorney,Agent, or Firm1-larvey B. Jacobson; Clarence A. OBrien [52] US. Cl.29/415, 113/116 BB 151 110.01.... B23p 17/00 [57] I ABSIRACT [58] Field6: Search 113/1 16 BB; 29/415, 416, A traller p forming 91951119 betweenthe roof and 29 4 3 1 20; 29 24 front end wall of a trailer of the typehaving a curved front end wall and a curved or bowed roof in which 5 R fr n Ci d the cap is formed by a male and female die in a metal UNITEDSTATES PATENTS 814,568 3/1906 Stagg press.

1 Claim, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTEUJUH28 1914 3820.223

I I will! 1|;

1 TRAILER CAP AND METHOD OF FORMING SAME BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1.Field of the Invention The present invention generally relates to ametal trailer cap which joins the front end wall to the roof of trailersand more particularly a method of forming such end caps by utilizing ametal press.

2. Description of the Prior Art Trailer caps constructed of sheet metalhave been used where an arcuately curved front end wall is joined to theforward end of the roof of a trailer. U.S. Pat. No. 3,389,670 disclosesa trailer cap and discusses the conventional technique of employing aplurality of triangular segments -or gores which are joined together bywelding or the like. This prior patent also discloses a technique inwhich the sheet metal is formed by utilizing a spinning technique. Whilesuch spinning technique is employed, the limitations inherent in thespinning technique limit the shapes and configurations that can beformed and also require considerable expenditure of time and labor informing the end cap. As set forth in that patent, the material and laborcosts involved adversely affect the manufacturing cost of the trailerend cap.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the invention is to provide atrailer end cap of sheet metal formed by a male and female die in 3 apress utilizing a rectangular piece of sheet metal stock to form two endcaps which are joined together and are subsequently cut apart by acorrespondingly shaped die cutter and also trimmed peripherally to formtwo end caps from the single sheet of material.

Another object of the invention is to provide a trailer end cap of sheetmetal formed by a sheet metal press having shape limitationscorresponding with the limitations of the sheet metal being employed toenable the rapid formation of two trailer end caps from a singlerectangular sheet of sheet metal.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a schematic perspective viewof a trailer employing the end cap of the present invention therein.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the end cap.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the product after it has been deformed from asheet panel into an intermediate structure.

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the intermediate structure of FIG.3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now specifically tothe drawings, a horse trailer is generally designated by numeral in FIG.I which may be of conventional construction and includes supportingwheels 12, side walls 14, a towing tongue 16, an arcuately curved frontend wall 18 and a roof 20 and an end cap generally designated by thenumeral 22 which incorporates the present invention therein in which theperipheral edges of the end cap 22 are connected to the front end wall18 and the roof 20 by conventional joining techniques.

The end cap 22 is constructed of sheet metal and includes a top or roofportion 24 that is in alignment with the roof 20 with the forward andside edge portions of the end cap being downwardly curved at 26 and alsoarcuate in configuration when observed from the top or bottom. Therearward edge of the end cap is straight as designated by numeral 28.

The curved peripheral edge 26 may be curved as part of a circle or maybe semi-elliptical in configuration. When a semi-elliptical constructionis desired, the dimensions of the major and minor axes of the ellipsemay vary.

In fonning the end cap, a rectangular sheet of sheet metal 30 isutilized and the corners thereof are cut off as indicated at 32 in FIG.3. The sheet metal used is a deep draw, aluminum kill sheet steel thatis manufactured by Republic Steel Co. The intermediate productillustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4 and designated by numeral 34 is formed in asheet'metal press capable of exerting a 1,000 ton force with the endproduct having dimensions generally 62 inches in width, 72 inches inlength and 15 inches in depth with the radius of curvature in the curvedperipheral wall portion being substantially 12 inches. After theintermediate product 34 has been formed, it is die cut by using a shapeddie cutter either to cut the intermediate product lengthwise orcrosswise into two end caps with the crosswise cut designated by brokenline in FIG. 3 and indicated by reference numeral 36 defining the endedge 28. At the same time, the terminal edge of the curved periphery 36is trimmed by a trimming die thus forming two end caps 22 from thesingle panel of sheet metal.

The metal pressing or stamping technique substantially reduces the timerequired to form a trailer end cap as compared with the welding oftriangular segments or gores together and substantially reduces the timeand labor required in forming an end cap for a trailer of this type ascompared with a metal spinning technique. Moreover, the trailer end capformed by employing the metal pressing or stamping technique produces amore uniform trailer end cap that is relatively rigid in constructionand also enables variation in the shape, size and configuration of the'end cap as compared with the spinning technique which is limited to ashape that is generated by revolving a panel of sheet metal about arotational axis. For example, the overall front to rear length of thecap 22 as shown in FIG. I may vary between approximately 30 inches to 40inches. Also, the trim line which forms the bottom edge of the edgeportion 26 may be varied elevationally to vary the depth of the cap. Thecrosswise cut 36 may be varied as to its relation to the center linealong the substantially straight side edge portions of the formedintermediate product shown in FIG. 3. Further, the thickness of metalcan be varied within certain limits.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalentsmay be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

I claim: l. The method of forming a closure end cap between a verticalfront end wall of a horse transporting trailer and a substantiallyhorizontal roof of the trailer in which the roof is provided with asubstantially flat top portion and downwardly curved side edge portionsand the front end wall is provided with rearwardly extending andgenerally parallel side edge portions and a semi-cylindrical curvedfront portion consisting of the steps of pressforming a generallyrectangular panel of sheet metal in a male and female die to form anintermediate product having a central substantially flat,semi-elliptical panel, downwardly curved peripheral edge portions of thesame curvature as the downwardly curved side edges of the roof andhaving a lower edge conforming with the curvature of the upper edge ofthe front end wall and a laterally projecting flange integral with thebottom edge of the downwardly curved peidentical pieces by die cuttingthe semi-elliptical flat panel and the downwardly curved peripheral wallwith a single operation of a die cutter having a flat portion confonningwith the transverse dimension of the flat panel and a radiused edgeportion at each edge for conforming with the radius of curvature of thedownwardly curving side walls of the intermediate product therebyproviding two pieces having a substantially semielliptical flat panelhaving a straight edge at one end thereof and a downwardly curvingradiused edge portion around the remainder of the periphery thereof withthe radius of curvature of the downwardly curved peripheral portion notexceeding approximately twelve inches, and securing one of said piecesto the horse transporting trailer with the downwardly curved peripheralwall portion being secured to the upper edge of the front end wall ofthe trailer, the straight edge of downwardly curved side edges of theroof of the trailer.

